Ordinary Acts of Bravery
by Speedgoddess
Summary: I'm going to choose Dauntless. The irony of it isn't lost on me. Running to the faction that prides bravery, running because I'm afraid to stay in Abnegation. I'm afraid of my father, afraid of what he'll keep doing to me if I stay. Afraid that if I don't leave I'll slowly loose myself bit by bit until there's know fire left inside me.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm trying really hard to get back into writing so I'm publishing the first four chapters of my story on here to hopefully get some feedback. Please keep in mind that this story will be a slow build, and I have to work around caring for a tiny human (my son) while cleaning house. Constructive criticism is always welcomed!**

 **A/N 2: This story will obviously be A/U but with elements taken from both the movies and books. For instance instead of the choosing ceremony taking place at sixteen it takes place when the characters are eighteen. Also I'm trying my hand at first person point of view. Traditionally I used to write third person so we'll see how this goes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Isabella Eaton

Tomorrow is my choosing ceremony, I know exactly what I'll choose. It won't be Abnegation like my father has been drilling into me since Tobi defected to a different faction.

I'm going to choose Dauntless. The irony of it isn't lost on me. Running to the faction that prides bravery, running because I'm afraid to stay in Abnegation. I'm afraid of my father, afraid of what he'll keep doing to me if I stay. Afraid that if I don't leave I'll slowly loose myself bit by bit until there's know fire left inside me.

I can't wait to see the look on my father's face when I stand in front of him, slice my hand, and choose Dauntless. It probably be a similar look to what he gave Tobias when he chose a different faction. Father refuses to tell me what faction he chose, it doesn't matter though, as long as he's happy where ever he is.

My father gets home while I'm chopping vegetables for dinner. It's my night to cook and do dishes. "What did you get?" is Marcus Eaton's way of greeting me.

"Abnegation," I reply, it's the truth, he knows it is because he walked me through what I was supposed to choose about half a dozen times.

"Good," he says as he places a hand on my shoulder, I have to make a conscious effort not to shrink away from his touch. "You know what you're supposed to do tomorrow."

It's not a question but I nod my head anyways as I put the vegetables in the boiling water of the pot. "Yes, sir." I can't afford to get the belt tonight, I have to remember all my manners and be on my best behavior. I need to be able to keep up with the Dauntless tomorrow when we make a run for the trains.

"Good girl," he says. "Let me take over you must be tired from your test today."

This stuns me, this is the first time he's ever been nice enough to do something like cook dinner for me on the night I'm supposed to cook. I look into his eyes, the same blue color that Tobias and I share, I try to see if this is a test. He gives nothing away though. "It's alright dad I don't mind," I say hoping it's the right thing to say to him.

"I insist, go take a nap you need your rest," his tone of voice leaves no room for arguments.

"Thank you, sir." I quickly retreat to my room to do as he says.

My room is plain and gray, there is nothing that would tell an outsider anything about me. Laying on my bed I wonder what it would be like to have things that belong to me, that I wouldn't have to worry about getting the belt over.

Once when I was five and Tobi was seven, we stole some cookies from the school cafeteria, the other Abnegation who were helping out that day didn't even notice us. They probably thought we were there to try and offer help to anyone who looked like they needed it. Tobi found the cookies and I hid them in one of the layers of my little dress. No one suspected a thing. When the bus dropped us off at home we made a bee line to my room to hide the cookies under my bed.

Somehow our father found them. That was the first time I remember him taking off his belt and striking my back with it; it was also the first time Tobias took the belt for me. He got three hits in before Tobias rushed into the room and convinced our father that he had taken them and hid them in my room. Our father hit him with the belt five times. It was the first time he took a beating for me, but not the last.

Father never came up and got me for dinner or if he did he let me sleep. Usually I'd be punished for not being down for dinner on time. I guess he's trying to convince me to stay in Abnegation. Maybe he just thinks he has nothing to worry about. I hope that's it, it'll make choosing Dauntless so much more satisfying.

Silently I get up from my bed and creep out into the hall way. Carefully I go downstairs making sure to avoid the third step down that creaks. If I'm lucky my father has already gone to bed. I look into the living room he's not there. He must be up in his room. When I reach the fridge there's a note on the door:

 _Isabella,_

 _I know you'll make the right choice tomorrow. I'm proud of you._

 _-Dad_

I put the note back on the fridge the same way I found it. I've lost any appetite I had. Turning around I quickly but quietly walk back up to my room. The faster I go to sleep the faster tomorrow will come.

Sleep never comes to me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Choosing Ceremony

The morning is bright, I'm walking with the other Abnegation, we're all headed towards the hub where the choosing ceremony will take place. I wonder if an outsider can tell me apart from the other eighteen year old Abnegations. I doubt it, we probably all look like a big gray blob when we walk together.

My father has already gone ahead to help set everything up for the ceremony. I don't mind, I hate walking with him in public, being associated with him. Two years ago I was allowed to walk with Tobi and my father until we reached the Hub, then I had to go back. I don't know if I just wasn't allowed or if my father just didn't want me to be there.

Looking to my right I can see the Priors. Beatrice, their daughter is my age, so is her brother but I don't think I've ever talked to him. I'd like to consider her a friend, even though we rarely talk. But we always sit together at lunch and ride the bus home together, after everyone else has gotten on of course. I wonder if she'll choose a different faction.

I catch the eye of Beatrice's mother and she beckons me over a smile on her face. When I walk over to them I'm greeted by Mrs. Prior first.

"Isabella, how are you?"

I use my best fake smile when I reply, "I'm fine thank you for asking." I catch Beatrice's eye and she gives me an unconvinced look. She knows my smile is fake and she knows I'm not fine. Despite knowing what I'll choose I'm still nervous about being up in front of all those people. I hate crowds and I especially hate standing in front of crowds.

"That's good, would you like to sit with us?" Mrs. Prior asks.

"That would be nice thank you," I reply. It would be more selfless to try and not impose but I can't bring myself to try and refuse the offer. Sitting with them will give me a little bit of solidarity I wouldn't be able to find in my own home.

I fall into step beside Beatrice and her brother Caleb. "How are you really?" she asks me under her breath so no one else can here her.

"I'll be okay after I make my choice," I reply. "How about you?"

"Nervous," she says and I loop my hand with hers and give her a reassuring squeeze which she returns before we both drop our hands simultaneously. It's not Abnegation to hold hands, that's an Amity thing, I've seen large groups of girls from Amity making a human chain with there interlocking hands before.

We take our seats after a confrontation with Jeanne Mathews the leader of Erudite. A confrontation that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and my stomach turning. I wish I could tell someone that the rumors about my father are true. But what good would it do now? Tobias is in a different faction, so he's out of harms way, and I'm about to be Dauntless so I won't have to face my father again.

I don't have to wait long for the ceremony to begin almost as soon as I take my seat, my father is walking up to stand behind the different symbols of the factions. The speech he gives is just a reiteration of what we've been taught since grade school. He talks briefly about the war and how the factions were created and what each one stands for.

Then the first name is called, the boy looks nervous as he walks up. He glances over each bowl before seeming to make his decision. It occurs to me for the first time that not everyone comes to the ceremony knowing what they will choose. For me it was easy, I want to be stronger, and braver than I am. So I'll choose the faction that value these traits. It's just an added bonus that Dauntless will add salt to the wound that I'll be giving my father by choosing a different faction. He's never been a big fan of Dauntless. He's ranted to Tobias and I since we were old enough to walk about how selfish they are, and how they have no regard for anyone else.

More and more names my father calls out until finally he gets to Caleb's name. Caleb walks down slowly and calm. My father calls out, "Erudite," after Caleb holds his hand over the bowl of water. Then Beatrice's name is called. She chooses Dauntless and I allow myself to smile, I won't be on my own at least.

"Isabella Eaton."

I take a deep breath and let it out before standing up and beginning to make my way down to the bowls. The walk is the scariest part, I feel like everyone is watching me, even though my mind tries to rationalize that they're probably not.

My hand shakes a little when I pick up the knife and I will it to still before I make a small slice in the skin on my left hand. I look at up at my father, he gives a slight nod as if to encourage that I pick Abnegation. I keep eye contact with him while I hold my hand over the bowl with burning coals. My blood makes a small sizzle sound and a vein in my fathers neck jumps. I bet if he could he'd take off his belt right now and make sure I wouldn't be able to lay on my back for a month.

His voice is hoarse when he calls out, "Dauntless."

Cheers erupt from the other Dauntless and I quickly make my way over where one of the boys sitting next to Beatrice stands up and lets me take his seat. "Did you know the whole time what you'd be choosing?" Beatrice asks me as I get settled into my seat for the rest of the ceremony.

"Yeah," I reply, "I decided a long time ago."

"At least we'll both know someone going into this," she says what I thought earlier.

I nod my head. Before looking up at my father every once in a while his eyes flicker to me and I grin widely at him. He won't have anyone to take his anger out on when he gets home tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if he destroys both mine and Tobi's old rooms tonight. The vein in my father's neck jumps when he looks back at me and I'm still grinning.

"Do you think your father is mad at you for choosing a different faction?" Beatrice asks me.

"God I hope so," I say without thinking and quickly clear my throat. "Do you think your parents are upset that you chose a different faction?"

"If they are they'll get over it," she replies, "they said they loved me no matter what."

Parental love must be nice. I don't think my father has ever said he loves me. My mom used to when I was little but she passed away a long time ago. I can hardly remember her face now. Tobias and I never really said it but it didn't need to be said. Tobi showed it when he would take the belt for me and I hope I showed it well enough when I would sneak him a cream I stole from the nurse's station at school that was supposed to help with stings and burns. It was the least I could do when he took the blame for something I did or didn't do.

"I'm sure they're not really angry at you," I inform her. "They're probably just sad to have both they're children in different factions, but they know you have to make your own way and find your own path."

Beatrice nods and we fall into a comfortable silence as my father finish up the end of the list and gives a few parting words of thanks to everyone. As soon as his voice goes quiet the Dauntless around me are up and running for the doors and I am running right along side them with out a look back.

The bright light out side is almost blinding as we come out of the dimly lit building. I feel almost reborn as the wind whips around me and my light brown hair falls out of it's stupid Abnegation style bun. Then all of a sudden were climbing up the support beams of the train tracts and I have to remind my self not to look down otherwise I'll freeze. It's not so much heights I have a problem with as it is the fear of falling. I lost track of Beatrice almost as soon as we broke outside but I find her again when I pull myself up and stand beside the other transfers.

I know what's coming next, I've seen the Dauntless do it hundreds of times. I have to jump on to the train, otherwise I'll get left behind. I've just got my first taste of freedom, and I'm not going to give it up to become factionless. The train makes a turn around the corner and I begin running with everyone else. As soon as I get to an open door I throw my self in then scoot back to make room for the next person.

The next person is Beatrice who all but falls on a Candor transfer. "Sorry," she apologizes quickly.

The Candor shrugs her off. "Is it just me or are they trying to kill us?"

I laugh along with Beatrice. The Candor girl introduces herself as Christina.

"Isabella," I tell her.

"Beatrice."

"You two twins or something?" she asks us.

Beatrice and I share a look. It's no big surprise that someone from another faction would think that. "No," Beatrice says.

"Sorry, all you Abnegation girls look the same to me."

"Ir's okay," I say, "all you Candor girls look the same to us too." This gets a laugh out of both Christina and Beatrice. I haven't stopped smiling like an idiot yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Four

Tobias is the first person I see, after climbing out of the net that caught me when I jumped off the roof. He looks shocked for a split second before masking it well. He quickly asks if I want to change my name. I do.

"Belle, third jumper," he calls out before I head over to join Beatrice.

She quickly informs me that she chosen Tris for her new name. I let her know that I like it and think its awesome. Soon were joined by Christina who greets us quickly before turning to watch the other jumpers.

After the last jumper Tobias introduces himself to us as Four. He looks taller than I remember, and more confident. I make a the decision in a split second, I'm not just going to survive in Dauntless, I'm going to thrive here.

"Four, like the number?" Christina ask loudly from beside me.

Tobias strides over to her until he's in her space and towering over her. He looks down right terrifying and I don't blame Christina when she takes a small step back. "Yeah, exactly like the number," he says, "the first lesson you'll learn from me, is to keep your mouth shut."

"Scary," Christina whispers to Tris and I as Four beckons us to follow him.

"You'll be staying here for the duration of your training," he says as he leads us into a large room with beds lined in neat rows.

"Boys or girls?" one of the guys ask from behind me.

"Both," Four replies glancing over his shoulder to look at us.

"Nice," one of the girls say sarcastically.

"If you like that you're going to love the bathrooms," Four replies as he leads us to the room attached to the sleeping areas, there are a few toilets and several shower stalls ling the walls. "You should feel right at home Candor, everything out in the open," he says to Christina while shoving through Tris and I. Apparently Dauntless has made him rude as well as intimidating. "You get the night off so I suggest you use it to rest up and eat your fill at dinner. You have five minutes to get change."

"Belle and I can cover for you while you change then you and I can do the same for Belle," Christina tells Tris.

"No," I quickly say. "I'll be fine." If I have my back facing towards Tris no one will be able to see the scars that go from the middle of my back to the lower part of it.

"Alright," she agrees.

"Damn, Stiff," one of the Erudite transfers, Peter I think, says, "are those real?"

I flush with embarrassment as I quickly pull my new shirt on.

"Don't listen to him, Belle," Christina tells me, "he's just upset that he won't ever end up with a girl so well endowed."

I know she's trying to be comforting but her words send another rush of embarrassment through me. "Thanks Christina," I say anyways.

"Should we sit there?" Tris asks gesturing towards the empty space around Four. I shrug while Christina gives her a disbelieving look.

Somehow I end up siting beside Four, I'm not upset but I don't want to draw to much attention to the fact that were related. It wouldn't take a genius to look between us and see that were siblings. We have the same eyes, same hair color, and facial cues that could give us away. Plus I probably look to relaxed sitting by our scary instructor.

"Have you never seen a hamburger before?" Christina asks Tris, who is looking at the food with caution.

"No, I've seen one, I've just never eaten one," she replies.

"Ditto," I say as I grab a hamburger.

"Abnegation eat mostly plane food, a plant based diet, no sauces and minimum seasoning," the guy sitting across from Christina says.

"Jeez, what text book did you swallow?" she asks him.

He smiles at her. "I'm will, Erudite."

"Of course you are," Christina says before looking over at Tris and I. "No offense but I'm surprised that Abnegation even eats at all. To selfish right?"

"You have to be really confident to be friends with a Candor," Will says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cristina asks him.

"It means you have no filter, you say the first thing that pops into your head."

The boy next to him joins the conversation, "you mean like your an idiot?"

"Nice one Al," Christina praises him. "At least we tell the truth."

"Erudite can tell the truth because we have the facts," Will counters.

I've almost forgotten that Four is sitting beside me until he speaks, "I don't want to hear about your old factions, your Dauntless now."

"Were you a transfer, or Dauntless born?" Tris asks him.

He leans in front of me to glare at her. "What makes you think you can talk to me?"

Tris stumbles over her words and he goes back to eating until, "it must be because your so approachable."

I snort and nearly choke on the piece of hamburger that I was chewing. Four gives me a disapproving look that no one else sees, the same look I used to get from him when he was teaching me how to cook and I would make a stupid mistake. "Be careful," He warns Tris before going back to his meal.

"You my friend have a death wish," Christina tells Tris.

I take another bite of my hamburger before Four slides something over to me. It's ketchup, I've seen other kids put it on there fries in the cafeteria in school. "Try this on it," he says low enough to were only I can hear him. Or at least I think I'm the only one who can hear him, but when I glance over at Tris I see her quizzical look.

I shrug and put the thing of ketchup between us after putting some on my burger. I take a bite and decide that I'm going to marry this burger. It is seriously the best thing I have ever tasted.

"Initiates stand," a voice yells out from over our heads as I take my last bite of burger. "You have chosen the warrior faction, we believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that makes one person stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud."

Suddenly we're getting lifted up over the heads of other Dauntless members. I pray that no one saw me flinch when people began touching my back, its an automatic reaction by now, that I need to get over quick before anyone notices. All of us get surfed around the room, and I loose count of how many people touch my butt, by accident or on purpose I don't care, I hate it. But I plaster on my best face smile and pretend that I'm enjoying myself, even though I'm scared that some will drop me. I pass by Christina and for a split second we hold hands before the crowd force us in different directions.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, many reasons, But it was written a while ago and if when the story is complete I decide to go back and revise everything it may or may not get taken out or redone.

Chapter 4

Training and Shopping

I wake up to the sound of metal hitting metal and Four's voice ordering us, "I want every body in the Pit, two minutes."

I get dressed quickly, despite how tired I feel. I didn't sleep well last night, I kept waking up thinking I was in Abnegation still. I'm glad I've never woke up screaming from a nightmare. I can only imagine what the others would think, or say.

I fall into step with Christina and Tris as we all make our way down to the Pit. I hope the others remember where it is because I've forgotten. Abnegation was easy to remember, everything was lined up perfectly, no one's house was different, and Four taught me when we were little to count the houses until we got to ours. There are no houses here, only apartment buildings, everything is interconnected, and it feels like a maze.

"My name is Eric, I'm one of your leaders here in Dauntless," a man from the middle of the room says as we enter into the Pit. He's the same one from the roof when we jumped into the unknown. "I'll be helping to over see your training."

"Why is a leader overseeing our training?" one of the boys behind me asks.

Eric smirks and for a second his eyes flash between Four and I. "Four?"

"Family isn't allowed to completely over see family during the training process," Four says making sure not to look at me.

"Who are you related to?" Of course Christina has to asks him.

"It doesn't matter," he replies.

"Faction before blood," Eric says his voice snide.

"If it was that simple then we would haven't a leader breathing down our necks," some one mutters from the back and Eric's eyes snap to them.

"There are two stages of training. The first is physical, push your bodies to the breaking point and master the art of combat," Four says before Eric can speak again, he begins pacing in front of us, "the second is mental, again breaking point. You'll face your worse fears and conquer them, unless they get you first. You'll be trained separately from the Dauntless born but you'll be ranked together. After initiations rankings will determine what jobs you move into; leadership, guarding the fence, or keeping the factionless from killing each other."

"Rankings will also determine who gets cut," Eric says, while walking up to stand in front of us.

"Cut?" Christina voices the question I assume is on everyone's minds.

"At the end each stage the lowest ranking initiates will be leaving us," he elaborates.

"To do what?" Al, a candor transfer, asks.

"Well there's no going home to your families so you'll be factionless," Eric replies.

"Why didn't we know that?" Will asks.

"It's a new rule."

"A new rule?" Christina sounds distressed, "Some one should have told us that."

"Why would you have chosen differently? Out of fear?" Eric asks approaching us, until he's looming over Christina, and unfortunately me. "Because if that's the case you might as well get out now. If you're really one of us it won't matter that you might fail. You've chose us, not we get to choose you." His dark eyes flicker over to me and I have to suppress the reflexive urge to step back out his line of sight.

"We begin training immediately," Four says drawing the intimidating leader's eyes off of me and onto him.

My body is completely sore after everything we did today, but Christina still insisted on going out shopping for new clothes. "We can't just wear our training clothes everywhere," she said before dragging Tris and I out towards the shopping district of Dauntless.

Which is how we ended up in a dress shop looking through the racks of skimpy dresses. "I'd fall out of that," I point out to Christina when she holds up a slinky black dress with steep V cut down the front of it.

"That's kind of the point, it's sexy," she replies before putting it back on the rack.

"What about me screams sexy to you?" I ask her as I glance at a dark blue dress with a heart shaped cut and a long flowy skirt.

"Tris, tell Belle she's sexy," Christina turns to Tris who is looking at a short black dress.

"Belle your pretty," Tris says.

"Not pretty!" Christina stresses, "Sexy! I swear you Abnegation girls."

"Christina, are you hitting on me?" I ask a smirk tugging at my lips.

Christina rolls her eyes. "No offense Belle, but you have a 'v' were I rather there be a 'd.' But hey if you swing that way I can be your wing woman."

It takes me a minute to realize what she was saying. "Christina!" I giggle. "And know I don't swing that way," I inform her.

"How does this look?" Tris asks stepping out of the changing room and thankfully ending our embarrassing conversation.

"Great," both Christina and I say.

I try on the blue dress that I had been fidgeting with during my conversation with Christina. It fits amazingly and thankfully doesn't show off my mid to lower back. The last thing I need is to be openly gawked at for having them. It takes Christina thirty minutes to find a dress she's satisfied with, then she drags us to another clothes store to pick out everyday wear.

"You really like tank tops," Tris says as she moves to look at the racks beside me.

I shrug. "They're comfortable and they'll keep me cool, I don't like being overly hot."

Tris just nods in reply. She knows as well as I do how hot the Abnegation clothing can be. If it wasn't for the fact that we have to be selfless I'm sure all the Abnegation kids would have hogged the A/C during summer time. When all the other factions had another standard of dress for the summer we still had to be completely covered from our wrists to our ankles. It was horrible.

"You should get that," I tell her as she holds up a short sleeved shirt to exam if it's the right size for her.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, it'd look nice."

"Looks like Christina is buying the whole store," Tris says good naturally.

I look over to Christina, she has her arms piled with clothes and looks happy as she adds even more to the pile. "If she keeps it up she won't have any more points to spend." Which was true Dauntless only gave its initiates so many points per month to start out with. As soon as we passed the initiation though we were supposed to get a bonus depending on our rankings. The what ever jobs we went into we'd be making a certain salaried amount per month.

"You guys ready?" Christina asks as she makes her way to us still picking up clothes off the racks.

"Yup," I reply as Tris nods her head. We both have a modest amount of clothes, I also picked out a pair of boots. The dress and boots are probably the most selfish items I've ever gotten, and I'd be able to keep them with out worrying about my father finding out. Not like when he found out about Tobi's secret stash of things he kept locked in the trunk under his bed. I can't fight the smile that stays in place that night as we make our way back to the sleeping area.


End file.
